I DON'T MEAN TO BUT I LOVE YOU

epilogue.

The first thing that brings Gabe crashing into consciousness is the voice of Taylor, who was by all means possible attempting to gently rouse his best friend, but to Gabe it seemed like he was waking him with a megaphone. The second thing that Gabe feels makes him wince and causes a wave of nausea to wash over him, the sharp crack of a hungover headache.

"Gabe," Taylor says, a backpack hanging off of one shoulder and a concerned look in his brown eyes as he looks down at Gabe. "Have your eaten at all today?" Taylor questions, picking up an empty bottle of crown and then two bottles of MD 20/20, also empty. The young Kappa is surprised Gabe hasn't thrown up.

He shouldn't worry too much though, there's still time for that, and Gabe swears he can feel the acidic burn of it creeping up his throat. What had possessed him to mix those two things? Where did he even get those two bottles of MD because he didn't have them before? How long had he even been asleep? He doesn't remember anything after falling asleep after that final...when was that? Yesterday?

"Wh—" Gabe starts, but his voice cracks and he burps, a rancid taste thick on his tongue as he clears his throat. "What day is it?"

"Friday." Taylor says. "Afternoon."

So, no, he hasn't eaten since yesterday. That's also not good. For some reason though, Gabe just can't find it in himself to care. When he stands up out of bed, he's still only wearing his boxers, and he has to get up slowly because the room is still spinning and his head is still aching and the nauseous just won't go away.

Taylor hasn't really spoken to Gabe much since the night Freddy walked him back home, and, when they were studying for their exam last night, it took everything in Taylor not to drill Freddy with questions about it. He's worried about his friend. Gabe hasn't been himself lately, and Taylor has a pretty good idea as to who's to blame for that.

"I'm going to order some pizza. You take a shower." Taylor says, watching as Gabe slowly makes his way over to the bedroom door.

"Sounds good. Can you drive me to the liquor store first though?" Gabe questions nonchalantly.

"Gabe," Taylor questions, taking the few steps forward to close the distance between them and putting a hand on Gabe's shoulder. When Gabe turns to look at him, Taylor can see something in Gabe's eyes that he's never seen before — nothing. There's an emptiness in those brown irises, like hollow holes staring into a soul that's simply... given up. It's the scariest thing Taylor's ever seen. "What's going on?"

Gabe can do one of two things here. He can admit that there's probably a lot wrong, starting with his family and ending with Jarstin and a bunch of shit in between. Or he could continue to ignore it, fill that void deep within himself with something else: liquor and, now that he's thinking about it, drugs would be nice too. The latter seems like the best option to him, at least this way he doesn't really have to feel anything. He doesn't have to let years of culminated misfortunes, traumas, and insecurities consume him when he could consume them instead.

So, he just shrugs his shoulders, puts on his best grin, and says, "Ain't nothing wrong with me, Taylor. Just enjoying the end of the year. I'ma go throw up now."

Gabe rushes out of the room before Taylor can say anything else, and the freckled Kappa is left standing there in his wake, knowing that he can't let Gabe go down a self-destructive path, and finding his hatred for Jarstin growing tenfold.

Forwood will pay for this.

-- -- --

"Of course, Raph. I'm going to support you no matter what fraternity you pledge, but it's going to be Omega Psi Phi, right? Actually, that shouldn't even be a question, it's a fact."